Amponsah, S

2 Publications in AERD

Author Publications

Professional development among in-service teachers: motivational factors, pathways and coping strategies

By Amponsah, S

While research indicates that teachers' continuing professional development (TCPD) is highly significant for the successful implementation of effective classroom instruction, few research studies to date have explored the role of TCPD in Ghana. This paper aims to map the pathways of TCPD for in-service teachers in Ghana while exploring the motivations and coping strategies of these adult learners. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design in which 45 students enrolled in an MA Education programme were trained to collect data from 352 in-service teachers in 310 schools using a semi-structured questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The data from the study were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results from the study show that subject matter, knowledge of curriculum, and assessment knowledge were the three most important factors behind the teachers' motivation to participate in CPD. Moreover, the analysis of the coping strategies of the in-service teachers suggests that there was little or no institutional support for them. In addition to this, despite the significant role mentorship plays in ensuring effective teaching and learning, the overwhelming majority of the teachers saw mentoring and exchange programmes as one of the least important forms of CPD opportunities available. Recommendations from the study indicate that teachers' professional autonomy and the disparity between the professional values and skills demanded in 21st-century education cannot be underestimated and that more research is required on how to design CPD programmes that will provide Ghanaian in-service teachers with the creative and innovative skills they require.

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COVID-19 Pandemic and the Shift to Digital Learning: Experiences of Students in a Community College in Ghana

By Addae, D

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impelled many countries all over the world to institute sweeping measures to help reduce infection rates and ultimately its utter elimination. One of the many measures is the closure of schools which concomitantly implied that other innovative strategies to the delivery of subject matter to students while they remain at home be employed in order to avert the likely disruption to the academic calendar of schools. In Ghana, many higher education institutions have turned to the use of digital tools to facilitate teaching and learning. While this was an inevitable move given the prevailing circumstances, it represents a major shift in the teaching and learning experiences of many students in the country due to their familiarization with the traditional face-to-face classroom sessions. This present study explored the unique experiences of 15 conveniently selected students from a two-year college in the country with regard to the sudden shift to digital learning necessitated by the pandemic. This paper identified three main experiences: 1. the use of unregulated social media platforms for learning; 2. high data costs for surfing the internet coupled with instability of internet; and 3. empathy from the lecturers contributed to students' online learning engagement. These findings serve as an invitation for profound reflection on the unique place of technology-mediated teaching and learning in higher education in current and future pandemics.

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